Hue Jackson Prefers to Have Browns Not Protest
Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson says he respects the position of some NFL players in their decision to sit during the playing of the national anthem, but doesn't necessarily want his team participating in those demonstrations.
During their team's last preseason games, Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett and Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch declined to stand for the anthem, following the actions taken by now free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick last season.
"I think everybody has a right to (protest), and I get it, but the national anthem means a lot to myself personally, the organization and our football team," Jackson said to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I hope — and again I can't speak, I haven't really talked to our team about it — I would hope that we don't have those issues.
“I understand there is a lot going on in the world. I like to just keep it here. What we deal with, we try to deal with as a team in our closed environment. We talk about things. Hopefully, that won’t happen. I can’t tell you it won’t happen, but I just know our guys, and I don’t think that is where our focus is."
Bennett said he is going to use his platform to speak on injustice and Lynch acknowledged that he has been sitting during the anthem for years.
Cleveland's next preseason game is Monday against the New York Giants.
